The American journal of emergency medicine
-
Brucellosis is a zoonotic infectious disease that is common around the world. Its clinical course demonstrates great diversity as it can affect all organs and systems. However, the central nervous system is rarely affected in the pediatric population. ⋯ In this article, we present the case of a 9-year-old girl who developed unilateral nerve paralysis as a secondary complication of neurobrucellosis and recovered without sequel after treatment. This case is notable because it is a very rare, the first within the pediatric population. Our article emphasizes that neurobrucellosis should be considered among the distinguishing diagnoses in every case that is admitted for nerve paralysis in regions where Brucella infection is endemic.
-
Noninvasive technology may assist the emergency department (ED) physician in determining the hemodynamic status in critically ill patients. The objective of our study was to show that ED physicians can accurately measure cardiac index (CI) by performing a bedside focused cardiac ultrasound examination. ⋯ Emergency department ED physicians can accurately measure CI using standard bedside ultrasound. A focused ultrasound cardiac examination to derive CI has potential use in the management of critical ill patients in the ED.
-
A 62-year-old man with local recurrence of pancreatic cancer underwent his 17th infusion of contrast medium. He had no history of allergy and had not experienced any side effects from the contrast medium during any of the previous examinations. During infusion, he complained of nausea, followed by a loss of consciousness. ⋯ Kounis syndrome is the concurrence of acute coronary syndromes with conditions associated with mast cell activation, including allergic or hypersensitivity and anaphylactic or anaphylactoid insults. In cases of coronary vasospasm with shock due to contrast medium, supportive therapy using catecholamine, which has coronary vasodilator activity, and a steroid might be effective to treat the coronary vasospasm. Attention should therefore be paid to the patient's complaints, the findings of real-time cardiosonography, electrocardiograms, and the levels of cardiac markers to ensure a correct diagnosis and to achieve a good treatment outcome.
-
Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) is the only established thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke. However, secondary embolism after IV rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke is recognized as an uncommon complication, and the pathophysiology is unclear. ⋯ Because the patient has paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (Af), the possible embolic sources may come from fragmentation of pre-existing intra-atrial clot. Although Af and the presence of cardiac thrombus are not contraindication for IV rt-PA in acute ischemic stroke, our case and review suggested that the administration of IV rt-PA to patients with known Af and intracardiac thrombus could represent a particular risk situation and should be carefully evaluated.
-
The aim of this study was to investigate the association between sex, cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts, and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Korea. ⋯ Females were less likely than males to receive resuscitation. Female sex was associated with a higher rate of survival at admission rate, whereas it was not associated with survival at discharge.